Category: Hawaiian

Show your love of baseball, but not with another jersey or t-shirt! This vintage Hawaiian shirt, made for the 1979 World Series, is a colorful riot of Pirates images with Hawaiian styling accent so you can represent for the team with a tropical punch. The winning accent (in our opinion): The baseball-look coconut buttons! Click here for more views and sizing information.

Imagine yourself, if you will, transported to a beach. On one of the Hawaiian islands. Black sand? White sand? Relaxing or people-watching? Drinking something with an umbrella or eating poi? That’s all up to your imagination, dear reader. We merely provide you with this vibrantly colored and stretchy polyester 70’s shirt, with bright tangerine, warm red, and accents of a light pink-purple on the flowers. Made in Hawaii. Click here for more views and sizing.

The 1950’s were a very interesting time, and one of the most interesting events of the decade was when Hawaii became the 50th state in 1959. Contemporary magazines, fashion, and music all reflected the heightened fascination with Polynesian culture. More ukuleles were produced in the 1950’s than in any other decade – 9 million! This decade also saw the birth of the “Tiki” culture. So it’s fitting that this chalkware bust of a Hawaiian girl with a flower in her hair comes from that time. Her features are quite accurately sculpted and the contrast between her skin tone and her hibiscus flower is warm and appealing. The manufacturer is Marwal Inc., a Florida-based producer of collectible busts and figures in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Please go here for more details and views.

When you find a piece of clothing like this, you also find someone’s story. Sometimes, you also find how that story relates to history! In researching the place names on this jacket, I learned that Misawa, Japan was the starting point for the world’s first trans-Pacific flight. (Source: “Then and Now“) After World War II, it served as an Air Force Base and the Navy also had a presence there too. This jacket tells the story of someone called “Chi Chi”, who was in the 6920 Security Group for two years in the 1970’s. Looking at the patches and the embroidery, you get a better idea of this person’s hobbies and activities:

Whoever Chi Chi was, he loved sports: Basketball, baseball, and he was apparently from California. From the map on the back of the jacket, you can see how far to the north Misawa is: At the northern tip of the main island (Honshu) in the Aomori prefecture. The fleece lining on this jacket likely helped keep Chi Chi warm in the winter, as it can get pretty snowy in northern Honshu. Another way to warm up in this region of Japan is to visit an onsen (hot springs bath), but there’s no patch for that.

If you’re interested in history and souvenir jackets, please find more detail views of the other patches here.

Yet another cool-colored piece caught my attention today. The border on this white button-down shirt from JC Penney is alive with marine colors and abstract prints. Click here to see more for yourself!

This shirt called out to me not only because it’s fairly lightweight and short-sleeved for summer, but because the tropical print is so subtle and graceful, like the leaves are wafting in the wind. The colors are muted, yet complement each other. Click here to view details and sizing information.

Made in Hawaii, and yet no tropical print! Very structured cut points to early-mid 1960’s. This button-down shirt is in a vivid shade of off-red we could call “coral”. Even in such a fiery color, you can be cool in cotton. More details here!

The first Aloha shirts were originally created for tourists by Ellery Chun, in 1930s Honolulu. Although Chinese, Mr. Chun made the first shirts out of old Kimono fabric and they were an immediate hit with tourists and surfers. Vintage Aloha shirts are now a sought after collectible all over the world. Monstervintage has a range of Aloha shirts to offer, to fit every budget and size. Starting off with a rare and exciting find, this McGregor label 1940s rayon shirt has beautiful tropical fish printed on the back and shell buttons.

1940s rayon Hawaiian shirt

Another fantastic find, and a bit more affordable, is this 1960s tiki delight.

vintage Hawaiian shirt

Made by Hukilau and 100% cotton, this Aloha shirt is definitely a crowd pleaser.

This shirt is a size small and in great condition! Although not an Aloha shirt, this last item is a fun item for collectors of vintage Hawaiian fabric. A wrap to be worn at the beach, it was made by Go Barefoot Paradise in Honolulu Hawaii.

Hawaiian print wrap around

Monstervintage.com has over 150 Aloha shirts to choose from, so you can be the best dressed man at the luau!